TiVo ranks most-watched Super Bowl ads and moments

February 8, 2016

TiVo has ranked this year’s most engaging Super Bowl commercials, promotions and game moments. From a variety of takes on patriotic messages, quirky humour, and a bit of the odd, commercials tended to lack the usual sizzle of the biggest TV event of the year, says the advanced television technology and insight specialist.

Unlike in recent years, TiVo’s analysis did not find that a specific genre or theme dominated the big game, as the highly anticipated matchup on the field and halftime show surpassed any standout ad spots in terms of viewer engagement. The National Football League tapped into the always-popular ‘baby-appeal’ by airing a highly engaging promotion highlighting babies born nine months following last year’s game. CBS, the airing network, increased the number of promotions of its own content to 31, versus last year when host network NBC aired 26.

The top ten commercials and promotions from Super Bowl 50, according to TiVo, were:

TiVo Research says it is the most reliable audience research service using second-by-second data measurement tools to rank top Super Bowl spots based on actual commercial retention relative to overall programme viewership.

This year’s big game versus last year’s by the numbers:

While brands such as Doritos and Budweiser clung to spots on the top 10 list, there was a notable omission from this tier of insurance companies, among other big-name brand categories which have run commercials in past years.

Six of the top ten spots contained celebrities, from Steven Tyler to George Takei.
14 spots were related to tech products or companies.

“Super Bowl 50 may not have been a nail-biter on the field, but the entire event is a bigger spectacle every year and fans around the world can’t seem to get enough,” said Tara Maitra, Senior Vice President, General Manager Content & Media Sales at TiVo. “Ratings for the game and the price tag for 30-second ad spots may have risen as usual, but ads this year felt ‘safer’ and less edgy. Additionally, spots are created for splintered audiences on various social media platforms and for online promotion – diverting from the genres and traditions of past years.”

For the sixth consecutive year, TiVo found viewership for the halftime show exceeding that of the overall game. The top moment from this year’s Coldplay-helmed halftime performance was exactly what many fans were eagerly anticipating – Beyoncé’s appearance. Based on data from the last eight years, Super Bowl 50’s halftime show ranked third behind 2012’s featuring Madonna with LMFAO, MIA, Nicki Minaj, and CeeLo, and last year’s performance by Katy Perry with Lenny Kravitz.

The moments with which viewers engaged the most from the game itself were:
(1) C.J. Anderson scrambles into the end zone to give the Broncos a 22-10 lead with three minutes remaining.
(2) Super Bowl MVP Von Miller strips the ball from Cam Newton’s hand with four minutes remaining in the 4th quarter and the Panthers down by 6.
(3) The replay shows Cam Newton backed away from the scramble for the lost football.

TiVo subscribers can also view all Super Bowl 50 commercials from their TiVo DVR. Go to TiVo Central and either hit 5 on the TiVo remote or go to ‘Find TV Movies and Videos’ > ‘Browse TV & Movies’ > ‘New & Notable’.